Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Kenneth Gainwell


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Najee Harris News

Is Najee Harris' Fantasy Career Over?

Monday, June 22, 6:03 AM

As veteran running back Najee Harris continues to work his way back from the Achilles tear that ended his Chargers career after only three games and 15 carries, he remains a free agent ahead of NFL training camps. After four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Harris took a one-year, $5.3 million deal in what proved to be a modest 2025 market for running backs. Limited in his first training camp with the Chargers following a bizarre Fourth of July eye injury, he tore his Achilles coming out of his stance on a routine play and has since been rehabbing the injury that has historically sapped the explosiveness out of running backs, particularly those on the wrong side of the age cliff. A first-round pick in 2021, Harris is now 28 years old, and while a running back injury somewhere across the league could provide him a chance to return for his sixth season, expectations of a fantasy revival remain low for RotoBaller's dynasty RB82.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kenneth Gainwell News

Bucky Irving, Kenneth Gainwell to be Used Interchangeably?

Friday, June 26, 7:14 PM

The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud doesn't think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want to give running back Bucky Irving 15-plus carries again in 2026 due to injury concerns. When discussing newcomer Kenneth Gainwell, who was the MVP of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense last year, Stroud said, "That's not backup money. I think they will go with the hot hand." The Bucs signed Gainwell to a two-year, $14 million contract in free agency in March after the 27-year-old had a career year in 2025 in the Steel City, carrying the ball 114 times for 537 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and five touchdowns while catching 73 passes for 486 yards and three touchdowns on 85 targets as a pass-catcher in 17 regular-season games (two starts). Tampa's offense is switching to more outside zone as well, which could favor Gainwell in his new digs. It's obviously bad news for Irving and his fantasy stock going into 2026 after he played in just 10 games due to injuries in Year 2. Fantasy managers should target the 23-year-old as more of an RB3/flex than a legitimate RB2, with Gainwell gaining steam as an RB3/flex with more appeal in PPR leagues.


Najee Harris vs. Kenneth Gainwell

Still trying to decide between Harris and Gainwell? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Najee Harris is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Kenneth Gainwell is projected to score 0.0 points.